FLASHBACK

The night was unsettlingly quiet, save for the faint hum of the ceiling fan in Hana's room. She stood in front of her mirror, brushing her teeth, the cool bristles dragging over her gums as her thoughts wandered. It had been a long day-too long, perhaps. Her mind drifted to Jaykay's earlier visit, his teasing words still lingering like a faint echo.

The sudden shrill ring of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. Startled, she spat out the foam and grabbed the device from the bedside table. The caller ID displayed Jaykay's name.

A frown creased her brow. He'd only left an hour ago.

"Hello?"

"Hana..."

The voice was faint, trembling, carrying a strange, uneasy undertone that made her grip tighten around the phone.

"Jay? Are you okay?"

There was a pause, the sound of heavy breathing on the other end.

"Hana... I need to see you. Right now!"

His urgency sent a chill through her.

"You just left. What's wrong?" she asked, her voice rising slightly in concern.

Before he could answer, a sharp crashing noise rang out through the receiver.

"Jay? What was that? Jay!"

"Please... be fast..." His voice cracked, and the line went dead.

"Jay? Hello?!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Hana stared at her phone, her heart pounding against her ribcage. Something wasn't right. She grabbed a jacket, not even bothering to tie her hair, and rushed out of the house.

-

The air outside was heavy, the sky lit sporadically by flashes of lightning. The distant rumble of thunder grew louder as Hana approached Jaykay's mansion. Her flashlight illuminated the path, the beam trembling slightly as her hand shook.

The house loomed before her, its silhouette casting long, menacing shadows across the driveway. She knocked on the large wooden door, but it creaked open under her touch, the hinges groaning as if protesting her arrival.

"Jay?" she called hesitantly, her voice barely audible over the growing wind.

Her blood ran cold as a shadow darted behind her, quick and silent. She spun around, her flashlight swinging wildly.

"Jay? Is that you? This isn't funny!" she shouted, her voice betraying her fear.

There was nothing. Just the quiet rustle of leaves and the low hum of the impending storm.

Swallowing hard, she turned back to the door and stepped inside. The air in the house was oppressively still, every sound amplified tenfold. Her footsteps echoed ominously as she ventured deeper, the beam of her flashlight catching the familiar layout.

A faint noise-a low rumble-came from a room down the hall. Her heart jumped.

She approached the door, her fingers trembling as she pushed it open.

The scene that met her eyes made her drop her flashlight. It hit the floor with a dull thud, the light casting erratic shadows across the room.

"Jay..."

He was sprawled on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. A knife was plunged into his abdomen, the blade glinting faintly in the lightning's flash. His face was pale, contorted in pain as he struggled to breathe.

"Jay!" she cried, her voice breaking as she rushed to his side. She knelt down, her hands hovering helplessly over him, unsure where to start.

"What... what happened?" she stammered, tears streaming down her face.

"Hana..." His voice was barely a whisper, his teeth gritted against the pain.

He fumbled weakly, his bloodstained hand pressing something into hers. She looked down to find a small recording tape.

"Keep this safe," he breathed, his eyes pleading.

"What... what is this for?" she asked, her voice shaking as she looked at the tape, then back at him.

"You'll understand someday," he managed, his words slurring slightly.

His trembling hand gestured toward the knife. "Help me... take it out."

"No!" she cried, shaking her head. "Are you insane? You'll bleed out!"

"I'm dying anyway," he said, his tone steady despite the agony in his eyes. "Please... Hana. Do this for me."

She hesitated, her hands trembling violently. The air felt like it had been sucked out of the room.

"Jay..."

"Please."

Tears blurred her vision as she gripped the hilt of the knife. With one swift motion, she pulled it out, and Jaykay screamed in pain. Blood poured from the wound, and his breathing became ragged.

"Don't forget this, okay?" he whispered, his hand finding hers once more, his grip weak but desperate.

"Jay, please... don't leave me..." she begged, her tears falling onto his bloodstained shirt.

"Promise me, Hana," he said, his voice barely audible. "Promise me... you'll listen to it... when you're ready. It's important."

"I promise," she choked out, clutching his hand tightly.

He smiled faintly, a fleeting, bittersweet expression that shattered her heart. His hand slipped from hers, falling limply to the floor.

"Jay? No... no... no!" Her voice cracked, raw with anguish.

She sat there, paralyzed by the enormity of the moment. One hand clutched the bloodied knife, the other held the tape, its weight suddenly unbearable. The storm outside roared, thunder and lightning filling the void, but inside the room, there was only silence.

Her tears fell endlessly, mixing with the blood on the floor.

"Jay..." she whispered one last time, her voice barely a breath. But he was gone.

~

Hana sat on the edge of Jungkook's bed, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of her shirt as the recording device whirred to life. The small room was dimly lit, the glow from the bedside lamp barely illuminating the tension between them.

Jaykay's voice crackled through the speaker, clear and calm.

"Hana... What I have to tell you is really important. At the time when you finally hear this, I will be gone already. And before you hear further, I want you to be with my brother. You might need his help for what I am about to say next..."

Jungkook let out a low groan and immediately reached over to stop the recording. His irritation was palpable, his jaw tight as he stared at the device like it was personally insulting him.

"Alright," he snapped, leaning back against his desk with arms crossed. "What kind of nonsense is this?"

Hana's eyes darted to him, her brows furrowing in frustration. "So, you don't believe your brother?"

"I don't believe the person showing me the recording," Jungkook shot back, his tone sharp.

"He recorded it!" she countered, her voice rising in exasperation.

"That's what you say."

"You think I mimicked his voice?" she asked, her voice cracking with disbelief.

"Oh, come on," Jungkook retorted, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. "The daughter of Choi Wooshik? You probably have a dozen ways to tamper with recordings. It's not that far-fetched."

Hana's shoulders sagged, the fight draining out of her as she stared at the floor. Her voice wavered, softer now. "You believe it or not, Jungkook. I didn't kill him."

Her words hung in the air like a fragile glass about to shatter.

Jungkook's gaze softened slightly, but his stubbornness didn't waver. "If you want me to think you didn't kill him, fine. But don't expect me to trust you blindly."

Hana's eyes glistened with tears, but she stood her ground. "Can you at least give me a chance to prove it wrong?"

Jungkook studied her, his brow furrowing as he weighed his options. Finally, he let out a long sigh and gestured at the device. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I believe you."

Hana nodded, not trusting herself to speak. With trembling fingers, she hit play.

Jaykay's voice returned, his tone heavier now.

"I guess Kook is with you now. So... I've been trying to find something. Hana, you might not be happy to hear what I'm going to say next... Your father... He's hiding something. Something big. There's something going on in your father's company."

The recording stopped abruptly as Jungkook pressed the pause button. He looked at her, his expression unreadable.

"Okay," he said, his tone almost mocking. "Now I believe it's really my brother who recorded this."

"Shut up," Hana snapped, glaring at him as she pressed play again.

"I can't say everything here. In case this recording falls into the wrong hands before it gets to you, it wouldn't be safe. So... I've hidden a capsule in my room. Only Kook knows where it is. You two have to open it, and you'll understand what I have to say."

The recording clicked off, leaving the room in silence. Hana turned to Jungkook, her eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and desperation.

"Well?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jungkook sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair before walking to the corner of the room. He bent down, pulling back the corner of the mat to reveal a small groove in the floor. Hana watched in astonishment as he pressed his finger into a hidden scanner. A soft click echoed through the room, and a hidden compartment slid open.

Inside was a small, tightly packed capsule filled with rows of tapes, each meticulously labeled with numbers ranging from 1 to 563.

Hana gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth.

Jungkook stared at the collection, his expression unreadable. "What the hell is this?"

Neither of them moved for a moment, the weight of the discovery pinning them in place.

"So... should we just... start listening?" Jungkook finally asked, his voice hesitant.

Hana nodded, her throat too dry to speak.

Jungkook reached for the tape labeled 1, slid it into the recorder, and pressed play.

Jaykay's voice returned, colder now, with a calculated edge.

"Day 1. To find out about Choi Wooshik, I need to get close to Hana. What's easier than making the wicked CEO's daughter fall in love with me to uncover what's going on in his company? She's strong-willed, but if I play my cards right, I can gain her trust. Once I have it, I'll be one step closer to finding the truth."

-

A/N

Well.... I hope all of you won't throw your hands at me after reaching this chapter. Have a great day everyone. Love you all.